Suraci, Nisivoccia and Police Chief Paul Kaminsky
interviewed at Feb. 28 commission meeting
By:Purvi Desai
Deputy Mayor Lisa Nisivoccia, Committeeman Carl Suraci and Police Chief Paul Kaminsky were forthcoming on their thoughts regarding the current form of government at the Feb. 28 Charter Study Commission meeting.
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Ms. Nisivoccia, Mr. Suraci and Chief Kaminsky were interviewed as part of a process by the commission to study the township committee and other forms of government. The commission is studying the forms to try and determine whether or not Hillsborough should change its form of government.
The commission has until August to study the forms and to make a recommendation to either keep the current form or change to one of the forms authorized by state law. Any recommendation for change will be placed on November’s ballot for voter approval.
The interviews conducted during the Feb. 28 meeting were similar to those conducted on Mayor Anthony Ferrera and Committeeman Bob Wagner on Jan. 31, and included questions on the positive and negative aspects of the current Township Committee form of government.
Commission member George Ostergren said he dislikes the discontinuity of the mayor’s annual term. "Part of the problem with our government is the lack of continuity," Mr. Ostergren told Mr. Suraci and added that the constant change in mayors every year halts any long-term planning for the town.
Mr. Suraci, a 13-year Hillsborough resident, said, "changing who sat on the chair didn’t change the course of the town." He said that in the current local form of government, the mayor is a "weak mayor" in terms of his sole powers and that the bigger role belongs to the committee.
"I don’t think there’s really an issue about continuity," Mr. Suraci said. He said that if he had been able to serve as mayor for a longer term, he does not think it would not have made much of a difference.
Mr. Suraci said among the short-term goals of the town includes drawing up the annual budget, whereas longer projects including completion of the Route 206 Bypass and acquiring the 438-acre General Services Administration Belle Mead Depot on Mountain View Road to use for recreation.
In response to a question by commission Vice Chairman Van Leer, Mr. Suraci said the only difference in being a mayor and being a committeeman is that the mayor is a spokesperson and spends more time talking to the press. He said that otherwise, the committee and mayor play the same roles and almost have equal powers.
Mr. Suraci said that the occurrence of annual elections due to the current form of government in Hillsborough "keeps everyone focused."
"It gives the public a voice or chance to send a message to the government or to change the government in the two-year cycle," he said.
In response to a question by commission member Gloria McCauley, Mr. Suraci said he is not "a fan of career politicians" and likes the yearly change in mayors.
"I think one of the benefits is that the responsibilities are divided and it spreads workloads," he said. "It doesn’t create a central power base. It spreads it out and promotes conversations, sometimes debates. It’s really a collective decision. One of the strengths also with the Township Committee is to deal with resolution conflicts through votes."
Chairman Chris Jensen asked Mr. Suraci what he would do if a mayor or committee member "overstepped their bounds," to which Mr. Suraci replied that he would consult the other people in the government.
"I think that’s sort of the beauty of having annual elections," he said. "If the people keep themselves informed, they can affect change in a matter of two years."
Mr. Suraci said that agreeing to have a charter study commission reveals his feelings for the subject and added that a future election question could possibly answer how Hillsborough residents feel about changing the way they elect their mayor. "I know there was enough interest to fuel a study for this," he said.
In the end, Mr. Suraci said that any change in the government leads to some separation between political parties. "It is the people that are elected that make a difference," he said.
Ms. Nisivoccia said in response to a question posed by Mr. Van Leer that she thinks people will always support a certain political party no matter what. "I think even if you try and pull out the politics from it, its going to be tough," she said.
In response to a question posed by Ms. McCauley, Ms. Nisivoccia said she tries to do what’s best for the town without basing her decisions on political affiliations. She said that through her experience with the Township Committee, she thinks that this form of government works efficiently for the town.
"I don’t have anything else I can compare it to," Ms. Nisivoccia said. "We’re close to the people, and anybody can reach out to us at any point."
Again, in response to a question by Ms. McCauley, Ms. Nisivoccia said she would support to have a mayor directly elected by residents. "I would support it," she said. "I believe there are some that would welcome a change and some prefer the Township Committee form. The ballot would be the best judge."
Chief Kaminsky, who has been with the township for 17-and-a-half years, told Mr. Van Leer that he feels the current Township Committee form of government interacts very well with the Police Department. He said he reports on a weekly basis directly to the committee liaisons, Mr. Wagner and Mr. Suraci, and has a daily contact with Township Administrator Kevin Davis.
Chief Kaminsky said he directly contacts Mayor Ferrera for major issues. "I’m very fortunate that the Township Committee is always available for me," he said. Mr. Van Leer said the Police Department is most immune compared to all other political departments in the municipality, and there is "no way anyone is going to meddle."Among some goals that Chief Kaminsky has for his department include replacing some people who retired recently, which he said will be "difficult shoes to fill," and adjusting to a new patrol division command. "I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by individuals who know their job well," he said, adding that the police department is constantly making sure they have the appropriate personnel available at various township areas, such as the new senior complex.
"We also continually have to modify and be in compliance with the attorney general’s rules through the county prosecutor’s office," he said. "Certain things require a vote from the Township Committee."
Mr. Jensen said he wanted to quell rumors that if the commission approves any change, all ordinances will be dissolved and zoning will be re-written. "That’s simply not true," he said. "Ordinances such as zoning, fire and safety, and Planning Board ordinances do not change. If you hear people say something like this, its not true."In conclusion, Mr. Jensen said "checks and balances are needed in preventing problems. "A sole supporting party is not a good thing," he said.
The next commission meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the municipal complex.

